Once in awhile, I come across conversations that compare traditional marketing with digital. People bang each other’s head to discuss which is better and which rules the landscape. Funny isn’t it? And as a matter of fact, this is a silent debate that happens in typical environments such as advertising companies.
Most of the people I know who are early adopters of digital marketing came from traditional forms of advertising and marketing. They have solid experience and has that feel with where the market it going. In other words, they “get it”.
But like in any ecosystem that evolves, there will be resistance to change. And change can be defined as something good or bad, which makes it more of a reason to be considered as a threat.
And here’s a couple of reason why some people treat digital marketing as a threat.
Being A Techie – there are people who considers this as their number one obstacle in embracing digital. They believe that you need to be a techie to be able to accomplish tasks or express ideas.
Knowing something about digital and how the components work together is I believe a must but you don’t need to be a techie to get your hands dirty. Google is your best friend.
Being An Adopter – Early adopters are people who have good insights on how Web 2.0 tools work and can easily distinguish which to use in a particular case. And there are those who adopt and quit early. Thinking that they know it all or sometimes, they just can’t “get it”
So, the primary thing people do with things they can’t understand is to ignore it. Good for you if you tried harder and if you have given it more thought.
Job Security – We can’t deny the fact that traditional advertising still rules the local landscape. Prints, TVC, etc. will not be replaced by digital. Some have this wrong notion that social media will soon take over the traditional stuff.
With how things are moving, I don’t see that time coming soon. Digital is like a super charger. It boosts the reach of a campaign to audiences that are outside the traditional channels.
It’s human nature to feel that something new will become dominant in the coming years and you have no idea where to position yourself. It will not hurt if you exert effort in understanding innovations from your field.
The least you can do is treat something as a threat the moment you see flashy new ideas. It’s not so human.
Related articles
- The Society of Digital Agencies Launches Its Annual Survey that Forecasts the Next Directions in Digital Marketing Worldwide (prweb.com)
- Seeking a Strategic Framework for Digital Marketing (customerthink.com)
- Empathy: The Key Ingredient to Digital Marketing (thecustomercollective.com)
